PS Audio Introduces The Lab Cable, An Innovative Power Delivery System

PS Audio, and innovator for the last 30 years in developing superb high-performance audio components at reasonable prices, has introduced the latest in its family of innovative power delivery systems, the PS Audio Lab Cable. The Lab Cable is a complete power delivery system application to both AC power and power amplifier outputs. As a speaker cable, the Lab Cable delivers a level of full-bandwidth, no-loss, no-noise performance that the company believes to be unequaled by any cable in the world.Developed in PS Audioís own research laboratory, the Lab Cable was originally designed as a reference power delivery system to test the companyís unique Power Plant line of AC power regenerating devices. However, once the initial Lab Cable has been developed and tested, PS Audio realized that no such cable existed in the current marketplace.PS Audio sought out a wire manufacturer that was capable of producing the Lab Cableís sophisticated design and, after considering over 100 wire foundries, located a manufacturer with the capabilities necessary to build the Lab Cable. A detailed account of the dramatic manufacturing process, with images, can be viewed online at http://www.psaudio.com.The Lab Cableís construction, which focuses its design parameters on shielding and copper surface area, is unique. Shielding is critical in any power delivery system, particularly in-wall situation where wire lengths exceed 10 feet. To achieve PS Audioís goal of a minimum RF and EMI rejection figure of ñ70 dB, tow shields were woven over each of the Lab Cableís two power conductors.Both shielded power conductors were then further protected from RF and EMI radiated fields with another woven copper braid over the entire cable assembly. This triaxial shielding arrangement lowers induced noise by a minimum of ñ70 dB, where ñ24 dB is considered excellent. The shielding, combined with proper termination, can result in a measurable improvement of both audio and video systems, according to PS Audio engineers.A large amount of conductor surface area is, according to PS Audio, critical for unrestricted electron flow and low DC resistance. Each of the two power handling conductors contained within the PS Audio Lab Cable is composed of 6-gauge 99.92 percent pure copper, arranged as 1,057 strands of 36-gauge wire. Using thousand of strands of very five gauge wire in a heavy 6-gauge conductors allows the PS Audio Lab Cable to be flexible, while at the same time capable of handling in excess of 50 amps.PS Audio has proposed that one of the limiting factors in both audio and video systems, is the use of too small a wire gauge for particular applications. As an example, PS Audio cites the typical home wiring arrangement that incorporates 14-gauge Romex-style housing wiring. When feeding an entire high-power, high-end audio/video installation, this set-up can suffer voltage drops of up to 5 volts AC. Drops of this nature, which occur as the video picture gets brighter of the audio gets louder, can cause A/V systems to perform at less than peak output. The Lab Cable can deliver full power to any A/V system, while at the same time maintaining nearly ñ70 dB of low noise AC power delivery.The Lab Cable DifferenceRealizing that many exotic claims by audio wire manufacturing are less than technically defensible, PS Audio believes it is important to build its marketing effort for the Lab Cable around the Cableís grounding in sound engineering principals and common sense. As a result, PS Audio will produce a series of white papers on the subject of the shielding and its benefits, as well as on proper power distribution techniques.Many home installers, electricians and audio/video dealers take a very cautious approach to recommending exotic wiring programs for their customersí home due in part, PS Audio has found, to technically inaccurate claims by audio wire companies abut their products. Although some caution is warranted, given the price of wiring a high-end A/V room or Home Theater can exceed the price of some of the equipment in the room, it is often excessive.PS Audio takes more modern position on the subject, one based on sound technical reasoning and on the contributions of proper shielding, termination and wire selection. While not an inexpensive solution, PS Audio is strongly believes its line of Lab Cable products, purchased as bulk wire and installed within a homeís walls to feed a high-end A/V system, makes a great deal of sense and provides the best possible system performance.The company also believes itís time to bring commons sense and technically accurate reasoning back into the high-end A/V world, and will work to foster support for a subject and a product category often ignored by reputable installer because of the hype and voodoo technology some companies propound.PS Audioís no-compromise, commons-sense approach to cables as manifested in the Lab Cable is available terminated as an AC power cord or terminated as a speaker cable, and is also available in lengths of 20 feet and more as bulk wiring for in-wall applications.PS Audio Lab Cable6 feet and under - $50 per foot7 feet and over - $45 per foot11 feet and over - $40 per foot20 feet and over - $35 per footTermination - $100OEM pricing on the cable and termination is available directly through PS Audio.

For additional information, visit PS Audioís Web site at http://www.psaudio.com.